It's been 15 years since I set foot on Spanish soil, and that trip was more about going to my first dance-clubs and smoking my first cigarettes than checking out the food scene.
That all changes next month when I head out on a last-minute press trip (covering food and wine, of course) - with a baby on the way, this could be the last sojourn to foreign lands for a while.
So, dear dear readers, anyone been to Spain lately? I'll be all over the map; from Puerto de Santa Maria in the south, to Castilla in the middle, and up to Rioja in the north. Send in your tips, stories and questions. I have several story ideas already, but always take creative suggestions from those I admire... you.
I'm from Alicante (Spain), if i can help you ;)
mmmm, lucky you!
link on my name to a B'n'B run by a marvelous cook
named Beatrix. She and her husband Johan are Flemish, and they hooked us up with out of this world local wines...
I met them in SW France, where they ran a restaurant for a few years - then they moved further south to make this gorgeous place, Casa Lagabella. Charming, young, contemporary,
fab.u.lous.
SK:
You could hook up with the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela (which cuts all across the north, amazing food regions anyway) but a good story might be what do the pilgrims eat....there are always people along the road, and I'm sure a lot of food traditions have emerged...
There is this amazing cheese: cabrales, which is from Asturias, which is kept in caves to ripen, and my favorite dish ever is also from Asturias, Fabada, which is a white bean stew with pork, black pudding, spicy sausage, saffron and other spices...
Santiago is the most incredible city, and even if you just cover what a pilgrim would eat after arriving in the city. It's filled with people who have really travelled to get there and there is an amazing sense of euphoria, which must extend into eating and drinking whilst resting tired feet!
I second suggestion of visiting Santiago de Compostela, been there twice, it's great. Hard to miss with the food anywhere in Spain I think. Try the caldo Gallego, empanada Gallega & tetilla cheese if you go to SdC in Galicia, which is also known for its beef. It is Celtic country--there are terrific photos of Galicia-la Coruna for one, in the March 06 National Geographic covering Celtic Realm. I had my best seafood meal ever just outside la Coruna. enjoy it. Don't forget to try Tarta de Santiago (Galician almond tart).
SK
Check out this awesome article by Gerry Dawes in prep for your trip to Rioja. It tells the story of the lesser known wine region of Navarra. Its wines are similar in style to those of Rioja but less expensive.
http://www.thewinenews.com/febmar98/navarra.html
This is an absolutely beautiful part of the world, snuggled up against the foot-hills of the Pyrenees. Try the Chuleta de Cabrito (Kid(as in baby goat)Chops)delicious and the unpasteurised (yes, I did say unpasteurised!!) cheeses of that region are fantastic!
Have a wonderful time, I know you will! I have a house in Valencia (East Coast, Mediterranean Sea)and have been going to spain for about 18 years. You're gonna love it!
Drink some Basque wine! Getariako Txakolina, specifically. Txomin Etxaniz is my favorite.
In Galicia eat Pulpo (octopussy) A Feira and drink Albariño, a typical white wine of the region. My favourite is Martín Códax.
http://www.martincodax.com/
And you can taste the Orujo (white grape liquor), be careful, alcohol content 45º vol.
Sorry:
Octopus not octopussy
My husband and I did a 4-week stint in Spain five years ago (just before the Euro-zone made everything more expensive) and despite being grad students, had a gastronomically wonderful time.
We managed to get to and dine in many regions: Basque country, Extremadura (near Portugal), Andalusia and the Catalan, though unfortunately missing out on San Sebastian. My favourite was Extremadura, with its creamy sheep's milk cheeses, meaty lamb stews and equally meaty red wines.
I can still taste certain items: the thinly-sliced ham (jamon serrano), a dreamy flan called tocino de cielo (heaven's bacon) and a digestif called crema catalana (a liquor that tastes like creme brulée).
I'd recommend a gastronomical tour to anyone, though only omnivores. Veggie dishes are hard to find....
We spent the week between x-mas and New Year's in Grenada and Seville. Ham Ham and More Ham. Did I mention Ham? We expected a wider selection of fresh vegetables than we found, though the salade compose is a lunch and dinner staple.
since we're talking about traveling, anyone been to Croatia?
we're going for 10 days beginning next wednesday with stops in Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik...
I had one of the best meals of my life in Bilbao. Sadly, I don't even know the name of the restaurant! It was one of those typical great stories from traveling abroad. My friend and I met a guy in a bar, and we told him it was my birthday and wanted a great place to have dinner. He took us up a hill, to a very dark and smokey Godfather looking restaurant. No one there spoke a lick of English, so we had to improvise. We ended up getting some giant garlic spawns, prosciutto, and finished the meal with salt covered steak (still remember well the waitress trying to explain to scrape the salt off). Such a great food memory. If anyone knows the place I'm talking about, please let me know.
Also, can't beat the tapas bars in Granada. But avoid the big fancy ones, and find yourself a tiny packed one. Always go where the locals are. We found one thin, long bar, that fed us a large sammich per drink. Was freakin' awesome.